Tablet Frenzy: What You Need to Know

Xoom! Streak! Galaxy! Transformer! No, it's not the opening scene of a sci-fi movie, it's the names of a few of the new tablets that are entering the market (the Motorola Xoom, Dell Streak, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Asus Eee Pad Transformer, to be exact). A steady stream has been hitting the market since the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) last January and a major influx is expected in the coming months. While I'm looking look forward to fully evaluating these cool new tablets in the near future, here's a closer look at what's making headlines now.

While the market's littered with Android-based devices, this tablet from Blackberry has its own operating system with a markedly different user interface.

Notable characteristics:

1. It doesn't offer built-in cellular data connection (like 3G), which means you either need to be within short-range of your Blackberry phone to get your Blackberry email, contacts, and calendar or in a mobile hotspot to get a wireless connection.

2. It does support Adobe Flash and Adobe Mobile AIR.

Stay tuned for the results of our full-fledged tablet tournament, in which we'll be pitting all the tablets against each other in a barrage of tough lab tests.